LOCAL & STATE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
Activists rally in support
of carbon emissions bill
By Sam Stites and
Claire Withycombe
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — Activists seek-
ing to clean Oregon’s environ-
ment by reducing greenhouse
gas emissions turned out by
the hundreds at the Capitol
Tuesday, pushing legislators
to move ahead with a cap and
trade policy.
Demonstrators ranged from
Salem-area teenagers who
took time out from school to
middle-aged Wasco County
residents.
All told, organizers say that
more than 1,000 people trav-
elled to the Capitol to support
Senate Bill 1530, which aims
to cap and shrink the state’s
carbon emissions and gener-
ate revenue for environmental
projects.
One of those local teens was
Angelique Prater, 17, of Sa-
lem, who spoke to the crowd
Tuesday about her activism.
In an interview, she said
that her parents, immigrants
from Mexico who work in ag-
riculture, were already feeling
the effects of climate change
— extreme temperatures in
winter and summer.
She said she fi rst heard
about the proposal from
friends in school and then got
involved in activism.
“I’m here today to fi ght for
the climate crisis and to, you
know, push our legislators to
fi ght for strong climate leg-
islation,” Prater said, adding
that legislation was the most
important part of “solving the
climate crisis.”
The pending legislation
would establish a new limit
L OCAL B RIEFING
2 local students on U of Idaho dean’s list
MOSCOW, Idaho — Kate M. Averett and Samuel S.
Hamilton of Baker City were named to the dean’s list
for the fall 2019 semester at the University of Idaho.
Averett is majoring in natural resources and society.
Hamilton is majoring in business.
To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must
have a GPA of at least 3.5 and take a minimum of 12
graded credits.
Rasmussen on Purchase College dean’s list
PURCHASE, New York — Devin Rasmussen of
Halfway was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2019
semester at Purchase College, where he is studying
media, society and the arts.
To be eligible, students must have a GPA of at least
3.5 and take at least 12 credits.
Purchase College is part of the State University of
New York network.
Diaper drive extended through February
Sam Stites / Oregon Capital Bureaux
From left to right, Portland State student Rachel Rodri and Willamette University stu-
dents Emily Grunken, Sonia Zand, Jamie Smith, Maggie Chapin and Samantha Smith
demonstrate at the Oregon State Capitol Tuesday to urge lawmakers to take action on
climate change.
on certain emissions and re-
duce them over time.
The limits would apply to
certain industries and major
fuel importers. The cap and
trade policy would carve
up the emissions limit into
allowances that emitters can
buy and sell on a market.
The idea is that as emis-
sions targets get lower, fewer
allowances are available,
and industry would improve
pollution controls.
Opponents have criticized
the plan for its potential
impact on consumers and
small businesses, particularly
through higher fuel costs.
Recent revisions to the
legislation spare counties east
of the Cascades from regula-
COUNCIL
tions on fuel importers and
provide a way for natural gas
companies to guard their low-
income customers against
higher costs.
The event began at noon
with speeches on the Capi-
tol steps from activists and
political offi cials, including
remarks from Multnomah
County Commissioner Jessica
Vega Pederson, Milwaukie
Mayor and congressional
candidate Mark Gamba and
Eric Richardson, Eugene-
Springfi eld NAACP presi-
dent. Following speeches,
the demonstrators marched
around the Capitol chanting
and waving signs bearing
messages supporting the
climate legislation.
the coming year.
Under the goal to “maintain and
Continued from Page 1A
enhance water security,” Public
City Manager Fred Warner Jr.
Works Director Michelle Owen said
said the parcel is a 40-foot by 100-
the city will be soliciting bids in the
foot bare residential lot that sits be- late spring to drill a second backup
tween two homes. Both owners have well. That wouldn’t happen until the
expressed interest in potentially
new fi scal year, which starts July 1,
acquiring the lot, Warner said.
2020.
If the city sells the parcel, it could
Under the goal of “cost effective
use the money toward buying the
budget management,” Owen said
larger property on the west side of
the city has been testing LED street
Central Park, near Resort Street.
lights on Windmill Lane.
That property could be used both
“I haven’t seen anything substan-
for access to and parking for park
tially improved in our cost of light-
visitors.
ing,” she said.
After Tuesday’s regular meeting,
The units have to be replaced
councilors had a nearly two-hour
frequently due to bugs getting inside
work session to talk about goals for the bulbs and burning them out,
The event, organized by the
environmental group Renew
Oregon, was a counterpart to
a protest in Salem last week
organized by Timber Unity.
Activists made the trek to
Salem from all parts of the
state Tuesday, including Dean
Myerson who was part of a
carload of demonstrators who
drove three hours from The
Dalles.
Myerson said he believes
Oregon needs to lead the way
on climate action.
“We can’t just wait for ev-
erybody else to do something
fi rst, which seems to be one
of the arguments; ‘we can’t
do this alone,’ which is true,
but somebody has to start,”
Myerson said.
Owen said.
Under the goal to “enhance com-
munity livability,” Robin Nudd, the
city’s human resources/community
development director, said she feels
there is a need for more afterschool
activities for children.
Councilor Lynette Perry said a
lack of such activities can make
it hard for working parents, and
increase their child care costs.
“It would be great if we were back
to the fi ve-day school week,” Perry
said.
Mayor Loran Joseph said he will
raise that issue at the next joint
meeting between city offi cials and
the Baker School Board.
Joseph said he wants the Council
The Rachel Pregnancy Center has extended its
Diaper Drive at the request of several participating
churches.
The drive, which began on Sanctity of Life Sunday
(Jan. 19) will continue through February, said Vera
Grove, Rachel Center director.
The Center’s days of operation have changed in
February to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed for lunch each day). The offi ce,
at 2192 Court Ave., is closed Mondays and Fridays.
More information is available by calling the Center at
541-523-5357.
Donation account for Baker City man
A donation account has been set up at Umpqua
Bank for Benjamin Humphries of Baker City, who
was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of
leukemia and is undergoing treatment in Boise.
Fireline Safety Refresher class March 21
Eastern Oregon Training Group will have an RT-
130 Annual Fireline Safety Refresher class on March
21. The class will start at 8 a.m. at the Baker School
District offi ce, 2090 Fourth St. in Baker City. A prac-
tice fi re shelter deployment will take place. This is a
required class for all federal and state contractors that
will be on the fi re line. A certifi ed National Wildfi re
Suppression Association (NWSA) instructor will teach
the class. Cost is $100 for NWSA members and $130
for nonmembers. Registration can be done at oregon-
fi retraining.com. Pre-registration is requested. More
information is available by calling Laurel Goodrich at
541-403-0907 or Jeff Sherman at 541-519-6213.
to be more involved with the Tran-
sient Lodging Tax committee, for
which he is the city’s representative,
and the Baker County Economic
Development Council.
Warner is a member of the latter.
Other Council goals include (a
complete list will be posted at www.
bakercityherald.com):
Water security
• Support fuel reduction methods
surrounding the watershed
Wastewater Disposal Plan
• Complete updated Wastewater
Master Plan
• Make communication of waste-
water rates and water projects a
priority
Enhance Community Livability
• Evaluate options for city-focused
economic development
• Coordinate efforts to support
existing and new businesses
• Explore marketing options for
Baker City/County (i.e., promotional
video)
Increase citizen involvement
• Revamp and update city website
Implement an asset
maintenance schedule
• Focus on master planning for
the golf course and Sam-O Swim
Center.
AFTERMATH OF UMATILLA COUNTY FLOODING
Police increase presence to protect from looting
By Alex Castle
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Nate
Fuller couldn’t sleep early
Monday morning. After
talking on the phone with a
friend about the risk of looters
going through people’s homes,
his mind was stirring with
concern. So at about 3:30 a.m.,
he got up and made his way
down to his family’s home in
Thorn Hollow on the Confed-
erated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation.
Last week, fl oodwater
surged through the commu-
nity and fi lled the neighbor-
hood’s homes with water,
washed out yards, completely
destroyed a small bridge and
left the Thorn Hollow Bridge
folded and impassable due to
structural damage.
Nate, his wife, Chantel, and
her father, Bill Koskela, went
to the house that afternoon
needing to retrieve their dogs
and Nate’s BiPap machine,
which he could die without.
But when they arrived, they
discovered their neighbors
were trapped at their home. A
friend of their neighbors, Ar-
chie Morrow, was already on
the scene, and together he and
Nate made it out to the neigh-
bors in a boat. However, a log
collided and broke the winch
in place to bring them back in,
and left the two stranded on
top of the house for more than
nine hours.
The Oregon Army National
Guard eventually evacuated
Fuller, Morrow and the couple
that night, and miraculously
none were injured.
The Fullers, along with
their three daughters, have
been staying with Nate’s
mother in Athena in the days
since, he said. But with roads
now cleared, the family has
been able to make several
trips to their property to begin
cleanup.
Fuller restlessly returned
home Monday morning need-
ing to retrieve more medical
equipment. Fuller is predia-
betic and forgot to bring extra
needles for his insulin shots,
he said, so he stopped by to
grab those and some other
items around the house.
Fuller said the place looked
normal and he shut it up as
usual before heading back to
Athena around 6 a.m.
Later in the day, Fuller
went back to Thorn Hollow to
assess and record the dam-
age done to the foundation of
their home when he noticed
a door was ajar. Skeptical of
any wrongdoing at fi rst, Fuller
chalked it up to someone he
knew stopping by to test the
well water just forgetting to
lock up when they left.
Things on the inside of the
house seemed fi ne and noth-
ing was obviously missing,
when out of habit he looked
out to where his goats and
chickens were kept in his yard
before the fl oods washed them
away.
“That’s when I saw tire
marks in the mud where I
knew I hadn’t driven,” he said.
Fuller could see where the
vehicle had tried to drive off
the property but got stuck
momentarily in the mud. He
then found that his shed had
been broken into and various
tools, chain saws, paints and
other items had been taken
from it.
As he kept inspecting,
Fuller saw where someone
had tried to kick the door in on
his shed containing musical
and sound equipment but
thankfully couldn’t. In another
shed, he found camping equip-
ment and fi shing rods had
been stolen.
After everything the family
had been through in the last
few days, Fuller was rightfully
frustrated by the burglary.
“We can’t stay at our house,”
Fuller said. “It’s not known if
Best Friends of Baker
Saturday Market
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the water is good, our septic
system is out. It can’t support
my family right now.”
While the fl ooding and
subsequent burglary has only
added to an already diffi cult
experience, Fuller was still
counting his blessings on
Tuesday.
“There’s good people, and
there’s bad people,” Fuller
said. “You can just try to as-
sociate yourself with those
who are positive and are there
for you. It’s been a tragedy but
we’ve defi nitely had people
stepping up to support us.”
With homes left unattended
around the region, local law
enforcement is working to
balance its resources and is in-
creasing its presence to deter
potential looters from taking
advantage of the vulnerable
homes.
“That’s an area of emphasis
for us until we can get more
people back into their homes
permanently,” Pendleton Po-
lice Chief Stuart Roberts said
Tuesday.
See Flooding/Page 6A
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